Gate or door latch.



W. l. CLUTS.

, GATE 0R DOOR LATCH. APPLICATION man APR. 30. 1911.

Patented July 24, 19171- v avwemtoz Wmuam J- CLUTS UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM J. CLUTS, 0F VIENNA, SOUTH DAKOTA.

GATE 0R DOOR LATCH.

Application filed April 30, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that VVILLMM J. GLU'JS, a citizenof the United States, residing at Vienna, in the county of Clark andState of South Dakota, has invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Gate or Door Latches, of which the following is a specification,reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to latches for ates, doors, and other closures,and particu arly to latches of that character in which one element ofthe latch comprises a hook and the other element an eye.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a latch of avery simple construction, which cannot be opened accidentally by stock.

A further object is to provide a hook-like latch of this character,which can only be detached from the, eye by a plurality of movements indifierent directions, the mere initial lifting of the hook with relationto the eye not availing to detach the hook from its engagement with theeye, the detachment of the hook from the eye requiring that a series ofdifferent but simple movements of the latch be performed in order tounlock the latch.

Other objects will appear in the course of the followin description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a perspective view of a door and corresponding jamb, with myimproved latch attached thereto and in looking position;

Fig. 2 is a like view to Fig. 1, but showing the latch rotated so thatit may be disengaged from the eye 12;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the latching hook.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates a door or gate or likeelement, and 11 designates the jamb with which the gate or door coacts.The door is provided with an eye '12 and the jamb is shown as providedwith an eye 13, which is disposed in a vertical plane. The latchcomprises a generally hook-shaped shank designated 14 which is straightfor a portion of its length, then is bent upward as at 15, then bentdownward as at 16 at an acute angle and then extended outward as at 17.Preferably at the base of this outward extension 17 there is provided aninwardly projecting protuberance 18,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1917.

Serial No. 165,557.

It will be seen that the eye 13 extends in a vertical plane and hencethe shank 14., which at its end adjacent the eye is formed with a smallloop or eye 19, may be turned in a plane parallel to the plane of theeye 13, and that the hook 14 may also be swung upward upon the eye 13.When the device is in use, the hook is engaged with the eye 12 in themanner illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the apex of the hook is disposedagainst the eye 12 and the extension 17 projects outward approximatelyat right angles to the face of the door, gate or other structure. Now ifit be desired to open the door or gate, the hook is forced upward untilthe protuberance 18 strikes the eye. Then the extension 17 is presseddown, which will rotate the shank 14, so that the parts will be in theposition shown in Fig. 2. The extension 17 will then be in line .withthe eye 12 and the hook may be pushed upward until the hook isdisengaged from the eye. A reverse movement, of course, will engage thehook with the eye.

The extension 17 preferably projects upward and outward so that it formsan efli'ective means for rotating the hook upon its pivotal point 13.The protuberance 18, when the hook is half raised, will tend to preventthe upward movement of the hook unless the hook is shifted slightlylaterally. The hook need not, however, be formed with this protuberance18.

It will be seen that this device is very cheap, may be easily appliedand it has been found to be very efi'ective in practice. Stock may rubagainst this book, but cannot unfasten the door for the reason thatmerely pushing upward on the hook does not act to rotate the hook intosuch a osition as will permit the arm or extension 17 to pass throughthe latch. Inasmuch as this arm or extension 17 is turned upward,pressure upon it will tend to force the V-shaped portion of the hookagainst the door and will not tend to turn the hook to a position whichwill bring the arm or extension in line with the axis of the eye 12. Ofcourse while this latch is particularly adapted for barns, outnr Li) momand a rtary for will be seen that while the loop 18 is primarily for thepurpose of obstructing the easy detachment of the latch from the eye 12that it may be also used for engaging a pad lock to thereby prevent thedisengagement of the latch from the eye 12. Having described myinvention, claim is:-

1. The combination with a swinging element and a fixed Qlglljltbllt, ofa latch therecqn prising a shank swi l gingly mounteii on one of saidelements for vertical movemovement in a mri/ ont l elem th ex em y of san b 'g edwvith npwai dly bowed hook, and the extremity of the bill ofthe hook having outerward"extensioin, the'ether element being providedwith an eye with which the bi1l ofthe hook is adapted to engage.

2. The combination with a fixed and a swingi ng elemen t, of a latchingdevice therefor comprisingen eye on one of said elelnent s aild a shankloosely connected to the Othen f said elements for nu veinent in a yetplane-sisaid shank having an upwardly extending :shaped portion formwhatI gents .1 8

ing a hook and having an outwardly extending arm at the termination ofthe bill of said hook, said shank being formed with a loop forming aninwardly projecting pro.- tuberanee and disposed at the junction of thearm with the bill of the hook.

.3. The combination with a fixed and a swinging clen'ient, of a latchingdevice therefor comprising an eye on one of said 1 elei'nents and ashank loosely connected to the other of said elei'hen ts for movement inaplui ality of planes, said shank having an iipwardly extending V shapediportion'lforming a hook and having airoutwa rdly extendmg ar m r't thet erm iatien of t he hill ofsaid hook, said arm ljfilng upwardly andoutwardly extended, -there bein an inwardly projecting protuberance attie junction oi said arm with the bill of tlie hodk.

In testimony whereof l hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

